Australia Celebrates 1-2 In Royal Whip Stakes

Australia sired a first crop 1-2 in Friday’s Group 3 Royal Whip Stakes, with top honours awarded to the Joseph O’Brien-trained Buckhurst (3c Australia - Artful, by Green Desert) in a thrilling finish.

Relegated to second after two furlongs, the bay was travelling well with two furlongs left to race and soon led, before being pushed out as Leo De Fury (Australia) produced a strong challenge entering the final furlong. Ridden out by Donnacha O’Brien, Buckhurst dug deep to prevail by a head on the line.

Speaking after the race, Donnacha O’Brien explained his confidence in the winner, “I probably committed him a little bit early and got a little bit lonely in front but he found more again when the other horse came to him. I always thought he was going to hold on, he was just getting a little bit idle in front.”

Owned by Lloyd Williams, Buckhurst was bred by Denford Stud and was bought by his trainer as a yearling for 70,000gns. He is one of two Stakes winners bred out of Artful, a half-sister to Group 3 winner Chintz, herself also the dam of The Gurkha.